The present invention is directed to a power converter and a power conversion method that supplies a specified power to a load, and more particularly to a power converter and power conversion method for a lamp. A power converter receives an input, such as a line AC input, and converts the input to a voltage suitable for operation of the load.
In some lamps, the voltage suitable for operation is desirably much lower than line voltage in order to increase efficiency of the lamp. For example, efficiency of a 120 volt halogen lamp is improved by reducing the operating voltage by a factor of ten. Further, it is desirable to integrally include such a converter inside a base of the lamp. However, the heat generated by presently available power converters effectively limits their applicability to lamps of less than about 30 watts. Since the heat generated by the converter relates to the power consumed by the converter, it is desirable to reduce the power consumption of the converter.